The Prime Minister has urged the council to do more to try and save hundreds of jobs at risk at historic docks.

Rishi Sunak intervened after a question from Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst about a redevelopment project at Chatham Docks.

She told the PM that hundreds of jobs were at risk because the owners were “continuing in their pursuit to displace successful businesses.”

The Conservative MP also took aim at Medway Council’s Labour administration, saying it was failing to honour its commitment before the local election last year to protect the jobs.

She said that commitment had also been made by the Labour party leader, Sir Keir Starmer.

At the time, he had publicly said he was proud to be a supporter of the campaign.

Ms Tolhurst urged the Prime Minister to meet with her to see how jobs could be saved.

“Isn't this just another example of how Labour and their leaders change their position depending on which way the wind blows,” she said.

In his reply, Sunak said: “I am disappointed to hear that the local Labour council is failing to honour the commitments that it made and I am not surprised that the leader of the opposition said one thing and then has done another.

“The docks support hundreds of jobs and I join with her to urge the council to adopt a different approach.”

Last week, at a full council meeting, Labour leader Vince Maple addressed the claims, saying: “The council as is well documented, is currently working on its local plan.

“As part of that work, we've done a call for sites not just for housing but for employment as well. All aspects of the local plan and we've undertaken a consultation at Regulation 18 on options for a spatial strategy moving forward. As well as resetting the vision and objectives for the local plan.

“That work is currently being considered by officers. Chatham Docks was promoted through the call for sites and was subject to responses through the recent consultation. As I say, the Council is working through the responses and the evidence base to support the plan moving forward.

“It therefore wouldn't be appropriate to comment directly on Chatham Docks or indeed any site at this moment as to do so would be premature and potentially risk challenge to the plan. It is absolutely critical and a priority for this administration to move forward and deliver a sound local plan.

“However, I did pledge following May the fourth that I would seek a meeting with both Peel and Mittal together, which I was very pleased to host just yesterday.

“It was a positive, constructive meeting and further dialog between the two organisations will continue. This, of course, is a very different approach from the previous leader of the council who in some cases chose to completely ignore letters for more than 18 months.”